A Love Beyond The Twilight
by Bianka-chan
Summary: After being released from 18 years of cryogenic sleep, Rinoa relives tragedies of a life past--that is, until Squall arrives, and Seifer is constantly on Rinoa's tormented mind. A tale of love beyond death, further than forever breeches. SquallRinoaSeifer
1. Enter The Protector

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Nefarious Divines.

This story is a darker one than I usually do which contains many twists in its plot that will be unpredictable until it happens. Please be patient in the long run, because it might take a while to get really good.

There's a lot of description in the story, so I'm sorry if I'm boring you. I was always told that I didn't describe enough... But of course when writing this on my other computer, I got 25 pages with only four lines of dialogue. No, wait, don't go back! It's edited! Still, I wouldn't blame you if you skipped the boring description and went on to the more interesting stuff. Why do I write the long description then, you ask? Because without it you get a picture in your head of only naked stick figures running around doing...well, stuff. And to me, that's way too vague.

This is an A/U (Alternate Universe) fic and has pretty extreme OOCness for Squall and Rinoa. In fact, at times it's almost as if they've switched personalities. You'll notice quickly that Rinoa thinks a lot to herself and Squall will often have to remind her that he's still there. Does that bother you? Sorry if it does.

Thanks to **Hiasha** and **Keiry** for supporting me and reading through my stuff to let me know what you thought. Thanks again! You guys are awesome!

The night conveys much mystery, similar to the way its ember sheets disguise the sapphire hues of the morning sky. It is a wonder how the stars are held high up in the heavens and why they are placed beyond every dreamer's reach. Maybe that is the reason why when a star falls, people wish upon it... A falling star signifies that one is closer to a certain dream, a certain hope. -**Soda Cola Pop**: The Night A Star Fell*

*I quote other people on really, really good things that they describe or say in their stories and promote them here. The stories that I quote are really good, and I believe that others should be told about them. They deserve their credit anyway. Who knows? I may just quote your story!

Warning: **CHARACTER DEATH**. (_What? Character death in the first chapter?_) Yep! A death begins the dark tale...

A Love Beyond The Twilight

Chapter One:

Enter the Protector

Bianka-chan

_I stood there, on the brink of euphoria, _

_My excitement quickly turning into fright._

_I have everything ever desired, for I am the last sorceress on Gaia,_

_And I only want you to hold me tonight._

_For what is _true_ love that is based upon a hidden lie--or perhaps truth?_

****

I stared at him as he gazed around the room, his beautiful brown hair falling on his perfect face. He looked strangely familiar to me in his somewhat samurai outfit. Across his forehead was a black bandana that tied in the back, its ends traveling all the way down to his mid-spine. For a top he wore a dark blue shirt with its sleeves only to the bottom of his shoulder bone and a long V completely separating it in the middle, revealing his abdominals. What kept it together was a lace that came from both sides, creating transcending X's along his middle. Further below were his loosely fitting combat pants of black that ended on top of his rubber zip-up boots.

I found him strangely familiar as he stared deeply into his Gunblade that he had laid across his lap. Scoffing, I turned away, surprising myself with the slight tint of crimson creeping onto my cheeks. _/What's gotten into me? He's a complete stranger. Besides, we're in a train. It's not like I'm going to see him again after this./_

_**But I couldn't have been more wrong...**_

With that decided, I stood up and began to stare out the window into the stormy night. I wouldn't arrive at my destination until dawn, so I reasoned that it would be better to sleep until then. But I was still standing when the train started rumbling, making me speedily lose my balance. Nervous, my eyes darted around, looking for something to grab onto. _/Oh, I'm too sleepy to move. Just let me hit the ground so I can pass out until I get there... /_

A blurry figure dashed fleetly from the corner of my eye. And even before I could blink I felt something grasp my shoulder. Immediately everything stopped when I looked up to see who or what it was that stopped my fall. I gasped when I realized the identity of my savior. It was the man from before... Then I heard the clank of metal just beside us. He'd flown over here to save me even before his Gunblade could drop to the ground. _/This man's faster than lightning itself.../_

At that moment I got lost in his deep, sea blue eyes. He stared back at me--lifelessly, of course--and moved not even a muscle. Even if he was a stranger, I felt as if I'd known him for years. I reasoned that I probably knew him from my childhood--there would be no way that I'd recognize hm then. With a sudden shock, I began to remember everything that happened the day before I was put into cryogenic sleep eighteen years ago.

***FLASHBACK***

I blushed as I bored into the eyes of my first crush, never once bothering to listen to the war that encompassed us. His eyes were as deep as the ocean--maybe deeper--and his blonde hair was plastered to his face as a result of the rain that we had just run out of. He was so...beautiful, that he was; (A/N: A MANLY beautiful, of course!) countless times he had risked everything just for my own survival. And now was the time that I had finally realized my true feelings for him--my partner...Seifer.

Seifer was an upright, righteous man with nothing but strength and a Gunblade to call to his name. After an unfortunate time eight years before, he had chosen to become my Protector. And so began the era of Sorceresses and her Knights with his courageous decision.

There we were, inside a train that was headed for the Mystic Chateau--the place that I would channel the last of my magic into the Magic Device and save the world from the Nefarious Divines. It was sad to say that the rest of the world didn't care that the chance of my survival was no more than 1%. The only thing they really cared for was the endurance of their own pathetic lives...

And that was when the battle initiated; the one that not even eighteen years of cryogenic sleep could erase. I heard the soldiers shouting outside and their swords swinging in one great, titanic clash, followed by and even greater crash. Reluctantly, I looked away from Seifer to check out the window. I gasped, horrified at what I had seen; it was a gruesome display of dead bodies and blood that could only be the result of complete madness. Seifer noticed my frightened disposition and bolted out of the train door with his Gunblade at the ready.

Still looking at the massacre, realization began to dawn on me. This bloodshed was all my fault, that I knew. Being the last Sorceress on Gaia meant that the entire world would be after my power. It was a sad fact, but it also meant that I would have a Protector, someone who promised to give his life for my sake and protect me always. Being in the funk of my life, I could only think of that as something romantic, like from a movie or something. But movies aren't real, and I hoped that this wasn't real either.

_But it was real...so painfully real._

Gathering my courage, I left to observe Seifer and the soldiers in the dark, stormy weather. As usual, he was slaying them all with a few quick thrusts of his mighty Gunblade. But it was evident that he was speedily losing strength after murdering only a dozen. I tried refusing to see the blood that ran from the gashes on his arms, stomach, and face, positive that there was no possible way for Seifer to lose. And as I watched him fight, a lone soldier made his way to me, his sword shining in the darkness like a diamond smile. Feeling threatened and helpless without Seifer to protect me, I held out my hand to attempt to stop the recruit with pity. I surprised myself by the sudden power that was forming in my palms, almost as if I was absorbing a rainbow into my hand. Knowing nothing else to do, I discharged my magic straight into the crowd of fighters, immediately killing several.

I rendered myself speechless with that gruesome action. Feeling like nothing more than a monster, I lifted my hand up to my face to examine exactly what had happened. Just as expected, the magic began to gather inside of my palm, and I only stared in curiosity and horror.

"Se...Seifer!" The words exploded out of my mouth as I became petrified with overwhelming trepidation.

Seifer finally came to me, took my hand, and redirected it at our enemies, instantly shooting off toward them and murdering all that remained in its path.

I had longed to stay in the arms of Seifer, only to cry and wonder at the extents of my curse of a power. The times were bad then, and I was so foolishly naïve. In my childhood I had known only disaster and protection; and as time passed I only thought that it would all change. But nothing ever changed, and I was always left in the dust of it all.

From the corner of my eye I saw an elite soldier falling from the sky with a broadsword in both hands, ready to slice through his enemy directly beneath him, name-wise known as me. I considered telling Seifer, but that would mean the fulfilling of his job: his death in place of mine. So I stayed silent, more than willing to die in his strong embrace.

But I was a fool if I thought that Seifer would stand for that. However, the elite soldier was already only a foot away, leaving Seifer no other choice...

He shoved me forcefully to the ground and stepped over my body, allowing the soldier to run him through the chest. I gasped as the life slowly flowed out out him and he fell to the ground at the removal of the soldier's sword.

_Seifer was gone...and another person close to me had died._

I screamed--not a normal scream but one of pure agony and desperation. Tears of pain streamed down my cheeks in diamond shapes, burning my cold skin, so cold as if I had died instead. And indeed I had died--for I was born anew.

The soldier, obviously not contented with killing the famous Protector Seifer, continued to near toward me, a devilish smile tugging at his lips.

And I crawled before Seifer's lifeless body, immediately taking him into my arms and letting my long upheld tears drench his face. Laying Seifer's head on my lap, I lifted both hands into the air, aiming one at the soldier that had killed Seifer, and the other at the rest of the infantry. It would be a direct shot at both of the groups, and I knew that firing so close to myself would be fatal. But I had made a decision: I didn't care anymore. Taking a final glance at the man I had once loved, I cast my magic in both immediate directions, hurling myself into a whirlwind of death.

***END FLASHBACK***

_/But why is it that when the smoke cleared, I was still there? I remember being soaked in blood; I was dying, no doubt. My body had turned tremendously cold, and I recall my last breath being so ironically peaceful. Then how...how is it possible that I'm still here? If my memories are true, then why am I still alive? Nothing makes sense; I should have died with Seifer eighteen years ago./_

The mist of my past finally escaped from my eyesight and I realized that I was halfway down to the ground and was still staring into the beautiful eyes of the man that saved me from falling. He had me completely dumbfounded in contemplation. _/Why didn't he say anything while I was lost in reverie? Was he staring at me the entire time? /_ As I thought that, I found several similarities between he and Seifer. Noticing my foolishness, I shook my head quickly and blinked away the tear that threatened to fall.

"See something you like, I take it," he commented with a teasing voice. The man pushed me forward from my old stance and sent me straight toward the train wall. Luckily, I had enough time to put my hands before me to shelter the impact. That didn't save him from my wrath, though.

I whirled around and stared accusingly at him, taking time to point my index finger at his face. "Just who the hell do you think you are--pushing me around like that?"

"Who do I think I am?" He scoffed and continued in more of a spiteful tone. "I suppose next time I'll let you fall; I was just trying to help you up."

"Oh, and like you're a saint," I retorted with a snide. I was so fed up with the bad treatment that I didn't even bother looking where he went. So, I walked to my seat with my eyes closed, already having memorized where it was. And that was when _it_ happened...

The seat was...irregularly comfortable and smaller that it had felt before. Then I opened my eyes and saw exactly what I had done, making my eyes bulge. I had sat myself down on the impossibly unbearable stranger's lap. But he was the first to speak, "Well, you're a fast mover, aren't you?"

Needless to say, I was still speechless and didn't move at all. Finally, though, my sense came back to me. "But--I--uh...I bought the ticket for this seat!"

He only laughed and pointed a finger in front of my face, directing me to the contents of the train. "Apparently you haven't noticed, but this little locomotive only has _one_ seat. We've gotta share it unless we wanna sleep on the floor or on top of a box."

"I did notice! I just thought that...uh...you didn't buy a seat since you were sitting on a box this whole time..." _/Actually, I never did notice because I was staring at you the entire duration of this trip. Just change your hair to blonde and you'd look exactly like Seifer. Why does life torture me so--sending someone that looks just like Seifer to torment me? /_

I leaned back and put a finger to my lips. _/Come to think of it, how come there's another person in here with me? I was told that this train is heading for Terra's Turf and Terra's Turf only, and that my mission coordinator Selphie, some new guy, and myself are going to be there. So then why is this guy here? Could he be the new guy? No, he can't be; the new guy is probably some nerd that'll help coordinate the mission with Selphie./_

My thoughts were interrupted when the man's voice boomed in my ear. "Yeah, sure, 'just make yourself comfortable'; I don't care." His tone was obviously sarcastic, though I really doubt that he was angry with me.

"Oh, sorry about that!" 

_/No, I'm not really sorry... /_

"I completely forgot that you were...uh...down there!"

/Just enjoying the moment, actually.../

"Yeah, sure, now could you _please_ get off of me?" Now he sounded like a whiny little kid, so I reluctantly decided to get off.

"Yes, your _Highness_." And with that, I simply slid off of his silky battle pants and placed myself next to him. _/I'm so friendly towards him, and I don't even know his name./_ "So, um, what's your name there, Stranger?"

His eyes immediately fluttered open and I soon realized that I woke him. "The name's Squall. What's your name?"

"My name's...Rinoa. What about your last name? Don't you have one?" I asked the last questions with far too much enthusiasm, as if I had a last name myself. Actually, I did, but I wouldn't want to stain my family name with all the blood that rests inside my palms.

His answer was quick and frank, with very little emotion compared to his zealous attitude earlier. "Any last name I might have had in the past is left in the tracks of The Nefarious Divines." As he ended his sentence, he turned to look out the window, obviously hiding his reaction to the thought of his seemingly tragic past.

_/The Nefarious Divines.../_ Those three words sent chills down my spine. _/I can't say that my past is buried in the dust of the Nefarious Divines. The name of the person that killed my family is far more treacherous. That malicious demon's name is none other than.../_

"Rinoa." That word made me instantly jump and turn completely white. _/What's wrong with me? It's not like he knows anything about my past.../_ "Do you always...get lost in your thoughts like that? You've already done it once before when you were sitting on my lap..."

I considered completely ignoring his question, but instead shook my head and stared pathetically at him. "Sorry, but I've got a lot on my mind..." He nodded in response, surprising me with his immediate understanding. Then he and I closed our eyes and prepared to sleep until our arrival. _/Maybe he's not so bad after all.../_

~

Faintly, just faintly, I felt hot breath along my cheek, repeating rhythmically. My eyes opened with the flicker of light that seemed to be prying open my eyes. I shocked myself at the sight that was displayed before me. There I was, my head on Squall's shoulder, staring up at a sleeping soldier. He looked so peaceful like that; his lips were slightly parted with the breath coming down my cheek. _/How did this happen and how long have we been asleep?/_

His eyes steadily opened, revealing his beautiful azure eyes. He turned to stare at me, his eyes not fully open yet. "Nice to see that you're awake, Rinoa. We arrived at the destination about an hour ago but the train director was nice enogh to wait until you woke up. And now that you're awake, it'd be good if you left."

_/For one moment you actually had me convinced that you were caring, but then came the last remark.../_ I then wearily picked my head up off of Squall's shoulder and got out of the seat, heading toward the exit door. Dusting off the dirt from my tiny black skirt, I lifted my free hand to press the button to open the door. But then the door suddenly opened, letting in the cold air from outside. Looking back, I saw Squall with his arms crossed, impatiently waiting for me to move.

"Hey, come on; I've got placed to be and people to see. My schedule is already delayed by an hour, you know." He tapped his foot as he spoke, keeping his eyes closed to avoid the extra frustration of the wind in his eyes.

I pointed outside with a weak finger. "Do you mean...out there...at Terra's Turf?" _/Please say no; please say no; please say no.../_

Squall scratched his head and pulled out a large piece of paper. "I'm going wherever this map tells me to, whether it leads me to Terra's Turf or not. And would you have a problem if I just so happen to be going to the same place that you are?"

I stepped out of the train and onto the lush grass below and took a few steps forward, allowing Squall room to get out. He put his finger on the map and suddenly pointed it to a paved path on the grassland. "Never mind; I don't want you to answer that question." Without even as much as goodbye, Squall walked off into the direction of the sun. _/So...it was nice meeting you, too... /_

~

I arrived at Terra's Turf in a huff, letting myself into the building and immediately collapsing on a chair beside Selphie. The mission coordinator ran a hand through her auburn hair and produced a clipboard with a stack of papers on it. Lazily, I leaned forward and gawked at the monstrous amount of paperwork that would more than likely need my signature on every page. "Oh no, Selphie, I thought that we were done with these already!" I sighed, leaned back in the chair, and said, "Alright then...what's this human dictionary for?"

Selphie smiled and took a pen off of her ear and gave it to me. No later than that she began walking toward the entrance door. "I suppose you don't have to read everything in the packet; just sign the last page! I mean, it's only about the new member helping with your journey!" She stopped as she approached the entrance door and swung it open slowly, letting cold mist into the large room.

I chose to ignore whatever or whoever was at the door and proceeded to uncap the pen, swiftly turning the pages in the paperwork. _/How can Selphie be so impossibly chipper all day every day? That girl's high on life, I'm sure... But I know that I'm remarkably jealous of her happiness. How long has it been since I've been truly happy? It's been eighteen long years, even before that lonesome sleep that repudiated me of life and prolonged my childhood. For eighteen long years I only dreamt of the man I had lost only hours before... Crimson blood, tears...and scarlet images plagued me and seemed to mock my own existence, if it could even be called as such./_

Selphie's high-pitched voice interrupted my thoughts. "Rinoa, Rinoa, Rinoa, look who decided to come over!" She held her hands out in front of her as though she were representing our visitor like she would a trophy. But then I caught a full glimpse of who she was talking about, and I slipped over the edge of my chair and fell promptly to the floor.

The man revealed himself from the outside and flashed a smirk from underneath his thick, intricate bangs. "So, it's you...as graceful as ever. Can't seem to keep your balance when you're around me, can you? My charm takes you right off of your feet..."

Selphie turned around with a wide grin plastered on her pale face. "Oh, you guys have already met each other? If you didn't know before because you didn't read the packet, his name is Squall, and he's your new Protector!"

My jaw nearly hit the floor, while my entire body save for my mouth decided to freeze. "Selphie, you've got to be kidding! Squall...is my...Protector...?"

_/No...not another Protector; I'm still healing from the last one. That means that Squall will be dead before I reach the Mystic Chateau, and I'll have bled myself to a lonely death. I can't handle the pain of losing someone else close to me...not anymore--not again.../_

Selphie slowly approached me with a worried look upon her face. "Rinoa, is there something wrong with that? Are you gonna be okay with this?" I glanced up at her with misty eyes.

_/How can she even ask me a question like that? Having a Protector is what claimed my sanity and my life, and now they expect me to go through it again. I won't go through it again--ever!/_

"Rinoa, are you all right?"

I got up, completely disregarded Selphie's curious questions, and turned around to glare at both Squall and Selphie. "I won't go through it again!" Turning on my heel, I directed my next attack on Squall. "Go back to wherever the hell you came from; just leave and don't bother coming back! I _want_ to go to the Mystic Chateau on my own, so don't bother following me."

As I whirled around to wait for him to leave, I could have sworn that I saw a smirk cross Squall's lips. But I wouldn't reply and only cherish the smile as the last I saw of the mysterious man... From the back of the room I heard footsteps echoing, heading to where I assumed was the exit.

_/Am I being selfish for doing what I am? No, I'm not being selfish at all... I'm only doing it so that Squall won't have to die. Maybe I'll be the only casualty of this war; maybe they can all live in peace once I die... /_

I looked up from the ground to catch a glimpse of a gunman peering into the window of the building, a large gun perched on top of his armored shoulder. Feeling frantic, I tried to tear the gloves off of my arms, but taking the take to do so would be fatal.

In a flurry of movements, Squall had his arm snaked around my waist and thrust me behind him, at the same time retrieving a gun from a tiny sheath by his side. He shot quickly, feeding the gunman a bullet trough his throat. The boy fell over backwards, killed in one of the most awful ways. Squall deposited his gun back in the sheath and turned to stare at me with a somewhat friendly look on his flawless face. "You shouldn't bequeath yourself loneliness when you've got someone willing to stay by your side. And especially when you can't take care of yourself. But, most importantly, not when you have," the Protector flashed a luminous smile, "someone like me."

I couldn't help but smile when he didn't let go of me. He had me mesmerized by his forwardness; but, most of all, I admired his bravery. Not wanting him to get the wrong idea, I removed his hand from my waist and returned his radiant smile.

"This is going to be one hell of an adventure..."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N**: There's the fairly long first chapter for ya! Although some parts are boring, I can tell you now that they certainly won't stay that way. The next chapter is where it 'really' begins. And now for a monstrously long Author's Note. You don't have to read this, though. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't mind if you skipped the rest and just went to reviewing. ^^ But if you plan on flaming me, please read the Author's Note before doing so. (The questions of each paragraph is bolded.)

Alright, I know some of you are wondering this: **How the hell can this be a love triangle between Squall, Rinoa, and Seifer if Seifer is dead?** Rinoa's still in love with Seifer even though he's dead. But she really doesn't want to fall in love with Squall because he should end up dying anyway. However, that's where some of the plot twists come into action. Stay tuned for that! Oh, and Seifer stills plays a big part. He'll be mentioned a lot and Rinoa will constantly think about him. It may get annoying, but-hey- she was in love with the guy.

**What are Rinoa's so-called tremendous powers?**: Whenever she doesn't have her gloves on, she can release a colossal amount of magic from her palms. That's why she can never take her gloves off unless she wants to kill someone. A bit troublesome, no?

**What's a Protector?**: If I didn't make it clear enough before, a protector is basically someone that has to _protect_ a sorceress by all means. The sorceress can't die until they've the Mystic Chateau. By chance someone comes to murder the sorceress, the protector must try to save her, even if it means giving his life. Protectors are usually volunteered people, like Seifer, but when they're desperate enough, people are sentenced to do so. In Squall's case, he was sentenced. You'll find out more about that in the next chapter.

**How can you post this--knowing that you copied the plot of FFX and Inuyasha!?**Okay, some of you might think that this is very much like Final Fantasy X. After a while you might think that it's starting to seem like Inuyasha. Well, I've already completed the story and it's NOT like either of those. This story and those two things may have their similarities, but everything else is part of my own original plotline. Besides, I started writing this story in 1999, so I couldn't have derived any of the storyline from either of those things. It got me so angry when I realized that FFX and IY were somewhat like my own story. So please don't flame this story telling me that it's too much like either of those.

Now that you've persevered through that really long A/N, please review! I have a lot of hope and pride in this story. Thanks so much for reading. Now, PLEASE review! I respect and value all of your individual opinions=) Have a great day! ~Bianka-chan


	2. Flee To War

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Nefarious Divines, blah, blah, blah.

Wow! So many reviews! 26 of them! I'm pleasantly surprised. I wanted as many reviews as I got, but I certainly wasn't expecting them. Thanks to everybody. I'm really glad that I could please so many people. And believe me, there's more to come. Sorry for the extremely long wait, though. School takes up too much time. Anyway, here comes the thank-yous. I'll always do this, no matter how many reviews I get. 

**XxMazLeonhartxX**-I'm glad that you like it, even though you don't like Rinoa. She and Squall will be very out of character throughout the story, only because if they kept their actual personalities then the drama wouldn't be as believable or intense. Maybe you'll like the Rinoa that I create. ^^ 

**Keiry**-Thanks for reviewing--let's see--eleven times. It means so much to me! 

**Hiasha**- Thanks for all of your consistent support, Sis. Sorry that you couldn't be the first; the uploading didn't go as well as I planned because the site was rebooting. Where are you?? You've disappeared! You haven't updated--you haven't e-mailed me any stories to beta read--and, well, you haven't e-mailed me at all. I hope that you read this and that you're all right. I need good quotes for my story and I've already raided Pierson and Ashbear. I'm running low! Well, I got some really funny ones from **XxSquall's AngelxX**, but they don't suit the story. Anywho, I hope to hear from you soon!

**XxSquall's AngelxX**-Wow, you're so nice. I can't believe I got a review from XxSquall's AngelxX! *head floats off of my neck* And you even put me on your list. Ahhh, good times. Yeah, it doesn't sound like FFX until a little later. Or maybe I just think it does? I hope it's just me. Thanks a bunch! 

**Angelprinczess29**-I'm glad that it sounds interesting. I hope that I'll be able to keep your interest in the long run. Well, I actually didn't find this chapter to be as good as some other ones, but you make me feel like I'm actually a good writer! ^_^ Oh, thanks for being patient. It helps. 

**Renegade Seraph**-Hey! It's been a while! Yeah, the chapter jumped a lot, but I'm kinda going for the unexpected. I hope it's working so far. Thanks! I'm glad that you approve of me trying something different. The reason why Squall is sentenced to be a Protector is partly revealed in this chapter, but even that little bit of information has an impact on the long-standing plot. ^^ Thanks for the review!

**thrasher**-Ah, good, you're back! =) I'm glad that you even went into my profile to find this story. You're so kind, heh. Maybe my reviews will reach over 200. I hope so! Thanks so much for telling me happy birthday! You're the only one that did. ^^

**Anonymous**-My faithful reviewer is still here. =) Yes, I've REALLY worked hard on this one. Squall is definitely still hot. Thanks for the review.

**anime_DUST**-lol, sorry to make you wait so long. You see, I wrote it out in 1999, but then I realized how poor my writing skills were so I had to redo it. Then, my mom found it and then _I_ never found it afterward. She probably threw it away. *sigh* She always throws my stories away. Oh yeah, Squall's hunky. I made him especially that. It suits his new character well. I think it's a bit like Inuyasha once my audience finds something out, but it may be a little while until that news is revealed. Sorry to disappoint! Thanks for the review!

**Ashbear**-Ack! Ahh! Whoa! *foams at the mouth* I'm reading but I'm not believing! *shakes head frantically* Anyway, I'm glad you also noticed how many long hours it took me to do this. Yep, there is a role reversal between the two and that idea has always interested me. Seifer will definitely play an important part, despite the fact that he's dead. It only seems like Inuyasha toward the end, and I'm not all that sure if others will also realize/notice. Thanks bunches for the review! ^^ (Did I mention how honored I am?)

**remote-mine**-It was 1 and a half months then, and now it's been over six! I'm so sorry! Here's the next chapter for you! Thanks for the review!

**Midas**- I'm so glad that you liked it--loved it, even. Sorry to make you wait!

**MissingAsOfNow**-Hey, what's shakin', bacon? You should research Final Fantasy VIII stuff. It's so good! Yeah, I like your new pen name. Anyway, thanks for the review! See you around. 

_... A world without Squall...? How could I ever forget him?_- ** elanor tinuviel**: Moonlight Sonata

That totally fits this chapter! You'll find out later on how. Oh, and everybody should read that fanfiction! It's perfection! Okay now, on with the story. Enjoy!

A Love Beyond The Twilight

Chapter Two:

Flee To War

Bianka-chan

The two of us were sitting in chairs directly across from each other, facing one another as though we were participating in a stand-off. But it had been an hour since our staring contest began, and I finally decided to relent. I relaxed my tense muscles and closed my eyes, lifting two fingers on each hand to massage my sore temples. _/This guy thinks he's got me completely convinced, but he's wrong. I'm not going to stand this for much longer. I'll ditch Squall somewhere along the way./_

Selphie bounced into the building, bags of food covering her face. She threw them down on the table in front of us and revealed an incredibly large smile. "I'm finally here; it's breakfast time, you guys!" The mission coordinator hopped around happily, making sure everything was distributed evenly. When everything was done, Tahren and I sat beside each other, while Selphie buoyantly devoured her sugar-infested meal.

Slowly, I dunked my spoon into the cereal bowl, never taking my eyes off of Squall. It was obvious that he wasn't used to eating something like cereal because his spoon was trembling in his hand. Just as the kitchen utensil was at his face, his hand suddenly moved, spilling the mix of cereal and milk all over his shirt. "Oh, shit; I can't believe I did that..."

I vainly attempted to stop myself from laughing at him, only to laugh a few seconds later. Selphie stopped eating for about one second to look up and point a finger to a door on the other side of the room. "There's a washer over there; feel free to use it!"

Squall got up, scowled at me, and made his way to the washing machine. "Yeah, sure, I think I will, thank _you_ very much." He disappeared only moments later into the small room.

I began laughing again, still trying to get the spoon of cereal into my mouth without letting out another guffaw. "Haha...that stupid guy. He's so tough, yet he can't even use a spoon..." As if on cue, I heard the door across the room close. As soon as Squall sat back on his chair, Selphie stopped eating--a rarity of hers until she's finished a meal. Curious, I glanced over at Squall just to see what was so amazing that could stop Selphie from consumption.

I had been leading my spoon to my mouth when I had glanced over, but upon seeing Squall I dropped the cereal all over my face, dripping milk off of my nose. There he was, thoughtfully studying his cereal with no shirt on. He looked over at me wiht his brows raised. "You have cereal on your face, and there's milk dripping off of your nose."

_/Yes, and you might as well tell me that I have brown eyes--as if I didn't already know!/_ I wiped the cereal off of my face with my wine-colored gloves. _/He sure does look good, though.../_

I finished off the cereal and pushed it away from me, turning to look at Squall. Crossing my legs, I tried not to blush as I watched him concentrate on his food. "So, Squall, how old are you? What are your skills? What did you do for a living before this? Where are you from? Why did you decide to become a Protector?"

Squall gave me a bedazzled look. "What is this--20 questions? Alright, alright, I'm 19 as of last month; I'm a Gunblade specialist; and I'm an ex-con that used to live life in a prison. As for the last question, I didn't decide about becoming your protector. I got sentenced to it; it was either this or the death sentence. But I only go out with honor, so I naturally chose this over being hanged."

_/I'm supposedly the most important human being on the planet, so then why do they give me an ex-con!?/_ I slapped myself on the forehead--hard. _/Wait a minute...I don't even want a Protector! ...As long as I'm stuck with him, I might as well ask a few more questions./ _

"What crime did you commit that was so bad for you to receive a death sentence?"

Squall shrugged and started licking his cereal, dropping the spoon to the floor. "Killed a few people... No big deal, really..."

I stared at him with a disbelieving look upon my face. _/I kill a lot of people...yet I'm not put in jail./_ Sighing, I picked up my spoon and wiped it on a clean cloth. _/Why can't I just be treated as a normal person?/_ I dismissed this issue quickly, reminding myself that a regular life for me would be impossible. However, I quickly glanced back up at Squall to see his reaction to my question and saw that his eyes were darting in the opoosite direction. 

_ /He's lying.../_

Selphie finished her meal and stood up, lifting the long tablecloth so that she could wipe her face with it. I rolled my eyes, quietly reminding myself to buy yet another tablecloth when I reached the next shop. As Selphie rounded the table, she dropped a thick pack of paper in front of me. "It's information on your journey!"

My eyes bulged at the pad's thickness, and I immediately leafed through its contents. "'The first stop is Winhill, where the Sorceress prepares to commander a battle against Dollet which will take place at around the area formerly inhabited by Galbadia Garden. The Sorceress and the Protector should make haste, for after a certain amount of time, impenetrable barriers will be made and no one can get through for safety purposes."

Squall yawned in an exaggerated fashion and waved his hand back and forth. "When does it _start_?"

I read forward to fight the urge to change my facial expression. "…Daybreak tomorrow."

My Protector got up from his chair and smirked. "Fine by me. I'm going to bed. You probably should, too."

I continued to stare at the paper and think deeply on what I should do. Selphie laughed and let out a fake sigh. "Do you always sleep, Squall? I'll tell you what…_I dare you_ to go an entire day without sleeping… I doubt that you could do it…"

And with that, her words faded into the air. I waited until I was sure that they were gone and collapsed onto a fluffy chair. "Daybreak tomorrow…? He actually believed me?"

~

_The night was young, and a few sparkles had already appeared in the sky. I looked beside me and smiled, grateful for the moment. "Seifer, why do we fight so hard against the Nefarious Divines to save the planet, if the planet doesn't care?"_

_"What do you mean, the planet doesn't care?" Seifer asked in reply._

_I sighed and shook my head, frustrated like the child I was. "Everyone hates me, or they don't help me fight. That means that they don't care."_

_"That doesn't necessarily mean that they don't care. Maybe they're not able to help you."_

_"I-If they cared enough…then they would try as hard as they could to help. I mean, it's their world, too, isn't it?"_

_"Rinoa…"_

_The carriage crashed and turned over several times. In the rush of flight I felt Seifer swiftly wrap his body around mine so that he would be the only one wounded. But Seifer was suddenly torn off of me and I soared away from the carriage and onto cemented ground._

_I pealed my cheek off of the sticky floor and instinctively looked at my hands. A thin gasp escaped my lips. My hands were no longer shielded by my gloves. Vainly, I tried to cover my hands by burying them in the dirt._

_A small explosion made the earth below rise up like an erupting volcano, slicing my arms and killing the plants in the immediate vicinity. The pain was there, but so was the fear. I looked back to see if Seifer was near, but I couldn't see him. Getting up, my eyes watered and I approached Galbadia._

_Another burst of magic flew from my palm and demolished a small cottage. This time, I had gotten the attention of the soldiers. They turned around and pointed shaky fingers in my general direction._

_"A-A devil! She's a devil! She'll destroy us all! Run!!!"_

_My eyes watered and I shivered in cold fear. "I-I'm not a devil… I'm gonna save you, don't you know?"_

_Yet another explosion came from my hand, destroying a small farm._

_"I'll reach the Mystic Chateau, give my life, and save all of you!"_

_More magic erupted from my hand and killed about a dozen of fleeing people._

_"I'll save your lives, damnit!!"_

_With a waterfall of tears, I collapsed to the ground. The magic still befell Galbadia, annihilating it in large chunks. In my daze I heard people screaming for their lives, but I ignored it, persisting to tell them exactly what I had claimed before. "Weren't you listening? I'm going to save you. I…"_

_The screams suddenly stopped, and I blinked several times to see what had happened. "They-They're all…gone!"_

_Nothing was left, not a soul. Children were scattered on the crimson ground, only inches away from their slain mothers. Their mouths were slightly open, little streams of blood coming out from them. Not far away were their apparent keepsakes; a bear, a blanket, and dolls._

_Even so cruel as this looked, my body chose not to stop. The magic would fly and so would their bodies as the two met. _

_I panicked. "Stop! Stop doing that! They're already dead…"_

_Sniffing, I looked up. "But I saved them, didn't I?"_

_I heard something behind me, a few crunches in the grass and clinking metal. "I'm sorry, Rinoa…"_

_With a quick, sharp blow to my neck, my consciousness was slowly taken away._

_"What's the point of saving the world…if I have already destroyed it all…?"_

_And then I fell to the ground face first, the rubble of Galbadia being the last thing I saw._

~

I woke up screaming, my entire body shaking with fright. Pulling my covers up with my gloved hands, I attempted to shield myself of that haunting pain. Someone was rushing into my room, making a lot of noise in their endeavor. Squall thrust the satin sheet between our rooms aside and quickly turned on my lamp.

"What happened?" he asked, panting.

I had obviously scared the wits out of him, as well as myself. Turning over to look at my clock, I shook my head slowly.

"Nothing. I just had a bad dream, that's all. You can go back to bed now… It's only midnight."

Squall didn't look completely convinced. "Are you sure? I can stay if you want."

"No! I-I mean…no, you should just pull the sheet closed and go back to sleep until our mission."

"…If that's what the Sorceress wants…"

His last response struck me. That made it seem like we were distant in a way, and I certainly didn't like it. Of course I didn't want to be close to him, but that was so…cold…

I shook it off and waited until he left, remaining quiet only until I heard his light snoring again, which didn't take long. Stepping silently onto the floor and retrieving all of my necessary belongings, I left. Finding the exit, I circled around, leaving only memories behind.

_/Why do I complain of not having love…when I run away from it every time I find it…?/_

~

Winhill was practically empty, only a small shop open for me to get my supplies. The edges of the town were glimmering with a rainbow glow, meaning that the shields were already rising. _/Squall definitely won't make it in time…/_

The shop owner was extremely friendly, although her smile seemed really suspicious. "Hellooo, aren't you the Sorceress Rinoa?"

"That's me."

She looked around stupidly, her eyes wide. "Where's your Protector? I heard that you got a new one."

My eyes widened this time. "He's…going to meet me out there--don't worry."

She nodded and proceeded in offering me the supplies. Strangely enough, all of my supplies were given to me sans cost, even though the catalogue I received said that it would all be expensive. _/Something weird is going on…but I don't have time to figure it out. The shields are still rising./_

"Yeah, thanks. If I don't come back, I died," I said, providing about as much morbid humor as I usually did.

The owner laughed nervously and looked away. "Tch…what's her problem?" I muttered to myself. "I guess she realized that if I die, she'll suffer for the rest of her boring life. What a shame…"

I walked out into the field, shivering. Rubbing my hands together, I began to think, one of the worst things I do. _/It sure is lonely… I'm always traveling alone, but as soon as I met him…I don't really want to be alone./_ I shook my head slowly and looked at the black sky. _/But I have to be alone. It's not fair for him to die, just for me. I've killed too many people./_ Laughing, I started walking in a circle. _/And here I am now, waiting to kill more. I never learn, nor do I change…/_ The wind seemed to have gotten stronger, and I cursed at the shortness of my black skirt. _/When will my soldiers arrive?/_

The long, looped belts hanging off of my jacket swung forward, indicating that something or someone was coming my way with strong force. I whirled around quickly and whistled in amazement. "Sure is a big group… Too big. There'll be a lot of casualties. The enemy can easily sight us…" Wrinkling my nose, I pointed at the last two lines of young men. "Hey, you guys! Go home! Shouldn't you be at school or something, or on a date?"

They shakily saluted to me and one shouted, "We can not, ma'am! The shield is already six feet high, ma'am!"

I kept a bored look on my face. "So? Can't you jump?"

He shook his head wildly, his face turning bright red. "By the time we reach the shield, ma'am, it will be up ten feet!"

I gritted my teeth and tried to make a plan. _/The troops seem too young and aren't trained very well… All they know how to do is scream. This is really strange. No army ever argues this much. Maybe this is a trap…/_

"Ma'am, the enemy approaches!" My thoughts were quickly stopped and I turned around, grasping the ends of my gloves.

"Spread out and attack! Find cover and fire from there; make sure the kill's silent," I immediately ordered.

I took off the glove on my right hand and fired at a group of Dollet soldiers, instantly killing a few. _/I guess I never needed Squall in the first place./_

@-->-- 

My eyes opened impulsively. I got up from the bed and stretched, reaching for my Gunblade. Once grabbing it, I walked toward the sheet that separated Rinoa and I, ready to wake her up. _/She sure does sleep silently… I can't even hear her breathe. It must be part of her training./_

Selphie immediately jumped into my face and started to panic. "Squall, Squall!! Rinoa's not here! Her bed's not even warm, so she must have left a while ago! Something could've happened to her by now! Go to Winhill and find her, find her, find her!!"

All of this came in a dizzying blur, and instantly I was worried for her safety. _/My first day here and I've already screwed things up./_ "I won't come back unless I found her."

Selphie nodded frantically and pushed me toward the door. "Yes, yes! Go!" Just as I was about to get both feet out of the door, Selphie called to me, "Wait!" She threw an apple at me. "Don't forget to eat!"

My eye twitched and I fled from the building. The scenery went by quickly, as did I, racing to reach her in time. I knew in the back of my mind, though, that I'd be too late. _/A great job I've been doing… If I don't catch up to her in time, then the entire world will be doomed to Hell. Why'd the government give an ex-con all of this responsibility, anyway? Stupid politics…/_

Lucky for me, Winhill was close to Terra's Turf. However, something stopped me right before I could get through. A tall rainbow glow was before me, standing about five feet above my head. "Damn… How am I supposed to get passed that? This should've have happened… The shields only started growing at daybreak. It would have taken six hours to get…" The truth suddenly became apparent. "_Rinoa lied_…"

Before I actually began to think, I brusquely decided to tear the shield apart so that I could get through. I put my Gunblade through the shield. Suddenly, a bolt struck me on my hand, stemming into other bolts and shocking me elsewhere. "Ahh! Damnit, the shield's electric! I'll just put on my gloves and try again…"

This time, I got through the shield, but its end still barred my way. Through the shield I could see Rinoa on the other side, basically murdering every Dollet soldier that came to her direction. "I guess she doesn't need my help after all…"

For a moment I considered turning tail and leaving, being free from the punishment of death altogether, but my conscience held me back. _/I don't care if she doesn't want me or not; I'm staying. It feels strange to say this, even if it's only to myself, but…she's all I have left. Rinoa…/_

I stopped myself from thinking anymore, my head jolting upward to look at how high the shield had gotten. Gritting my teeth, I plunged my Gunblade as high as I could into the shield and lifted myself up. Slowly placing my feet on the shield to gain momentary grip, I tried to quickly remove my Gunblade from the shield and position it higher, but a shock suddenly burst and threw me to the ground--hard.

Blood made a small pool in my mouth and I struggled to get back up again. Several times I had told myself to give up already, but the sound of a quiet scream helped me bolt to my feet. I could hear muffled voices from the other side. "It's all right, Sorceress Rinoa. I'm sure that you didn't mean to… He was one of our younger cadets and wasn't much help anyway."

I saw Rinoa scowl at the man that was speaking to her and her shouts were loud even behind the thick shield. "How can you say that!? Lives are not to be thrown away that easily! You can't justify murder…_ever._"

The man nodded in a blasé manner. "I'm sorry, Sorceress. I'll watch what I say next time."

Rinoa turned back around slowly and hesitated to attack the enemy. The soldiers under Rinoa huddled together somewhat inconspicuously and spoke quietly. "We attack…in a moment. Make sure it's unpredictable. Once you shoot without killing, you're dead." He projected his hand into the air, his palm further out than his fingers. With each passing second, he would take a finger down. It only took a moment for me to realize what they were counting down to.

"RINOA!!!"

@-->--

I could hear someone calling me from a distance, and it sounded like Squall. Suddenly I grinned, actually quite impressed with myself. He's probably already found out. _/ I wonder how mad he is. Will he get through the shield? Most likely, he won't. So we'll never see each other again? I hope not, for his sake./ _

A slight wind came from behind me, and all of a sudden almost everything stopped. I looked behind me, fear clawing at my back. My soldiers were in a large circle, pointing their guns at me. Slowly, I turned back around to look at my enemy. They were in a circle as well, all of their guns aimed at my vital areas.

I could feel the heat of the lasers on my forehead and heart, immediately wanting Squall to be with me. My eyes began to fail me and I couldn't bring myself to direct my magic at them. Breathing heavily, I looked in the direction of where I heard Squall's voice. Almost scared to tears, I reached out to him, feeling the magic burning in my hand. His eyes widened, the beautiful blue of them swirling with anxiety. 

The magic shot off quickly, and I felt myself smile sarcastically. "What ungrateful people… I fight for them, yet they choose to die without my help…" 

The entire field erupted into an enormous plague of fire. It seemed as if the whole world screamed in pain. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

** A/N**: First of all, _ I'M MASSIVELY SORRY_ to everybody for taking so incredibly long to update. It's been more than six months. I'm fifteen and a half now! Again, I'm so sorry. I've been horrible. 

The next chapter will be coming up as soon as I find the time to actually finish writing it. I can tell you now that it'll have much more humor and a wee bit less angst. 

Okay guys, I just added this note after reading through the chapter again. I'm missing a part that I wrote to add to this on my other computer. Unfortunately, my brother decided to screw up that computer AGAIN. So, until after I make him fix it, I can't add that juicy part in. Well, actually, I don't even remember how good it was. I may not add it in at all. If I do, if anybody wants me to notify them about it, just say so in your review ^^

Thanks for reading, and sorry for making you wait so long. I really hope that you enjoyed my chapter! It took me forever to write. Please review! Have a great day! Oh, and Happy [early] Easter!

~Bianka-chan 


	3. Saving my Savior

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing! If only I did

Thank you so much for all the reviews! I'm so grateful! Since I've heard that I can't reply to reviewers in the following chapters anymore, please make sure you leave your e-mail so I can send you a message of thanks! I'm really sorry that I can't do it here :(

"_Withdrawing during battle wasn't an option, but when it came to real life, withdraw was the only word he knew_"--**Angelprinczess: **Sympathy. _(That's comparable to how Rinoa acts throughout this story. Thanks, _**Angelprinczess. **:)

A Love Beyond the Twilight

Chapter Three:

Saving my Savior

Bianka-chan

_Several threats have been issued to the sorceress herself. Dollet residents claim that Rinoa should come at midnight exactly to battle alongside Winhill soldiers. Should Rinoa lose or if she does not show, her headquarters will be bombed. It has already been located at Terra's Turf. Suspicious politicians say that the headquarters will be bombed regardless of any outcome. The bombing will commence shortly after daybreak the next day. _

My eyes fluttered open, and I struggled to see. A white veil was around my eyesight, clouding my vision and instilling a dream-like conscience.

_/Look, I can see my room... Everything looks the same, as if nothing ever happened./_

Suddenly, I sat up straight. "I'm dead...!"

Leaning back on the headboard of the bed, I sighed. _/ Is this...Hell, then? I know I can't be in Heaven; I've killed far too many innocent people while saving too few. This must be torture, then, being able to see my room while not actually being there and alive./_

I groaned and slapped myself on the forehead, sniffing quietly. "If I wasn't always so stupid, then I'd be alive and happy with..."

My heart leaped out of my chest, and I pushed back at the headboard to separate myself from it. "Wait! If I'm dead...then...!"

The door was opened and he entered the room. Seeing no reason to hold anything back, I leaped on him and held him as tight as I could. "I'm so sorry..." I began, feeling my throat begin to sting with overpowering emotion. "I was so stupid. If I wasn't so helpless you wouldn't have died."

I hugged him harder. "I thought that I would never see you again. Oh, I don't deserve to look at you at all. You ended up saving everyone when I was supposed to. I was never the hero that you were." A burning hot tear rolled down my frigid cheek. "I can never express to you how sorry I am...that you had to die because of me. I missed you so much...Seifer..."

I could feel Seifer stiffen in my embrace, so I finally opened my eyes and looked up at him. _/Oh...my.../_

"Squall! I...uh..."

His eyes darted to the left so that he wasn't looking at me. "I guess if _I_ died it would be okay," he said quietly.

I was so confused at that moment. _/Why do I always think he's _him/

Squall got up from the bed, pushing my hands off of his chest. He started to leave when I stopped him with my trembling voice.

"I...How? How did I..._we_ survive?"

Squall stopped walking, leaning his arm against the door. I had to force myself to look away, feeling the crimson blush rushing to my cheeks.

"I wasn't sentenced to be your Protector just because I was some killing fiend. I'm a trained fighter and tactician." He turned around to stare at me with leering eyes. "You blew up the shield, made me fly about five feet in the air, and killed several fake soldiers."

"They weren't soldiers?" I asked quietly, too afraid to speak any louder.

Squall gave me a stupid look. "You couldn't tell?" When I looked sheepishly away, his face softened slightly. "...No, they were just misguided kids. Don't feel bad for killing them, though." The Protector nearly smiled. "Although nothing ever justifies murder, they were going to murder you, too, right?"

I nodded in response, suddenly feeling like a young child listening to a fascinating story. "And then what?"

Squall actually smiled this time, shaking his head simultaneously. "I can't believe that you don't remember. Well, Little Miss Sorceress, you got shot," he said, pointing to my stomach with his index finger and then at my arm with his middle finger.

"What?" Looking down, I found myself surprised to see a bloody bandage around my forearm. Now curious, I put a trembling hand underneath my shirt and felt a damp spot on my stomach. Wincing from pain, I looked up at Squall with hurt eyes. "You bandaged me up, didn't you?" Feeling horrible for not having recognized his kindness before, I quickly added, "I'm so sorry, Squall!"

Seeing no acceptance in his face, I collapsed backwards onto my bed, feeling like an idiot. Instead of falling back on my pillow of otherwordly comfort, though, I slammed my head into my wooden headboard, causing tremendous pain to shoot up from my neck to my forehead on the opposite side. Strangely enough, this caused the rather unpredictable Squall to chuckle. "Minor concussion. I forgot to tell you about it." He smiled at me playfully and said in probably his best impersonation of me, "_I'm so sorry_!"

His humor made me want to laugh, but just the thought of smiling made my head hurt even more, which was a difficult feat in itself. I was in an incredibly uncomfortable position on my bed, and it was causing pain from my stomach to circulate up to my head. Don't get me wrong, I'm not so full of myself to refuse to resolve the problem on my own, but I couldn't move myself without using the strength of both of my arms. One arm had a bullet in it, and the other was too bruised to make up for it, so I had no other choice but to surrender my pride in exchange for comfort.

"Squaaall, my head hurts when I sit up like this." He gave me a look that said, "Yeah...so?" so I went on, "I can't move, either, because my hands aren't strong enough right now. ...Can you help?"

The Protector made his way back to the bed and lifted me from behind my knee and back, putting me farther down on the softer part of my bed. His all-too-consistent efforts to help me in an all-too-kindly way made me suspicious then, but that still did not prepare me for what was next.

Squall gripped the bottom of my shirt and lifted it, holding it up while he reached downward to grab something on the floor. Being horribly frightened that he was going to try to make a move, I squealed in a voice so high-pitched it made my head pound like a drum. He turned back over to me with widened eyes and a slightly concerned (but more playful) face. "Hey, calm down! I'm not a sick pervert. I'm just trying to help. Would you rather bleed to death, _Princess_?"

It was almost as if someone hurled an arrow into my chest. I nearly vomited bile. "...Don't call me that. Seifer used to call me that..."

His smile faded and he quickly apologized, turning his head back down. Silence suddenly reigned in the small bedroom. Eager to hear him speak again, I continued our long conversation. "You never said how you managed to escape."

Squall looked up from my stomach and smirked. "All of the surviving soldiers turned their guns and aimed at me. I was almost sure that I'd seen my last day, but then I mustered up the courage to swing my Gunblade at about five of the kids. I killed all five of them, scaring the hell out of everybody else. They dropped their guns as I picked you up and turned tail. They didn't even attempt to kill me when my back was turned. And that...was my heroic rescue." He had such a cheesy smile on his face that I just had to laugh then, despite the pain in my stomach and head.

"Don't do that. You're making yourself bleed even more." He finished wrapping my wound and stood up, starting to head toward the door with the dirty bandages in his hands. He got halfway there before he turned around and asked, "Why did you apologize earlier, anyway?"

It took me a moment to remember the conversation, so I jumped with recognition when I did, explaining, "I apologized because I hadn't noticed your unnecessary kindness to me before!"

My Protector looked at me quizzically. "_Unnecessary_?"

I gulped, afraid to get him mad. "Well, yeah. You didn't have to bandage me up or anything. It's not your--"

"I don't know why you think that _I'm_ not necessary. I'm here to help you, Rinoa--not to burden you. I'll do whatever it takes...because you can't do this alone, you know?"

_/I know that I can't do it alone, but I also know that I have to do it alone. I don't want to have anyone else killed just for my life. Aren't I the one who's supposed to be saving people./_

"I know that face. You're thinking again, aren't you?" He paused, looking like he was trying to find a way to say something but couldn't. "Well, I'm going to the doctor. Now that I'm your Protector, I've got to go in and get myself tested every once in a while. Make sure you don't move too much while I'm gone. Oh, and if you manage to run away, I'll chase after you and drag you back by your hair." Squall winked and waved. "Don't miss me too much."

I found myself smiling back, waving slightly with my right hand. Realizing what I was doing, I quickly dropped my hand and frowned, hugging my knees to my chest. "I hope I don't see you again..." I said quietly, looking down at the wrinkled sheets that used to hold the shape of Squall. "I don't want to fall in love with you and then watch you die. I don't even want to like you. But I just can't come to hating you... It's impossible."

* * *

Rubbing my eyes, I walked into the strategy room. I found Mishen/Selphie sitting in front of a huge computer terminal, stuffing popcorn into her mouth. Little bits of the food were scattered around her, making a blanket of mess encompassing her chair. Smiling, I approached her, reaching out to grab some of her food. 

With shaky hands I put the popcorn into my mouth, tasting the blood that had already dried up slither down my throat. Mishen/Selphie looked up, a playful frown on her face. "Pop your own, Sleeping Beauty!"

Just to spite her, I grabbed more, dropping a few on her lap. The Mission Coordinator grinned, picking up the food from her lap and eating it greedily. Selphie spun around to look at me and crossed her legs. "So, whaddya want?" she asked, her mouth grossly full.

I collapsed onto the ground, getting whoozy from the light of the computer screen. Bored and hungry, I started picking up the popcorn from the ground and eating it. _/This floor had better be clean.../_

"What really happened over there when I ran away? Did Squall really kill five little soldiers and scare the rest of the army? Then did he walk away safely?"

Selphie laughed, dropping more popcorn for me on the floor. "He really said that, huh? He's just trying to impress you, Rinoa! What happened was Squall got shot six times in the chest, once across the face, and twice on his leg, but he was smart enough to wear a bullet-proof vest that covered what wasn't bare already! So when he was knocked out from the impact of all of the bullets, the army just assumed that they had killed you both! From what I heard, it was the sweetest sight--you laying across Squall's chest bleeding everywhere! Then Squall got up when everyone else had left and ran back here! As soon as he laid you on your bed, he collapsed onto the floor! What a sweet guy, huh?"

I smiled timidly, blushing. _/He did all of that...for me? Of course...it was either that or die./_ I shook my head quickly, trying to rid myself of any romantic thoughts. _/I'm just his client, right? Right.../_

Selphie scraped her fingernails along the bottom of the popcorn bowl, getting up as she did so. "You finished my popcorn! I'm gonna go make some more...!"

I smiled at her, getting up to follow her into the kitchen. My eyes scrolled along the table, suddenly stopping and widening upon seeing a large packet. "Oh, DAMNIT!"

I leafed through the pages until I finally found the one containing the threats that I'd read through yesterday. "...Selphie! What time is it? What day is it?"

Selphie turned on the stove and the kernels began popping. "It's about four...and it's the same day as you left! You weren't out cold for long, you know?"

I tried to stay calm but found it becoming steadily more difficult. "When is Squall coming back?"

Selphie popped her head out of the kitchen, smirking playfully. "I didn't think that he'd get to you that quickly! He's hot, isn't he?"

Blushing slightly, I shook my head and frowned at Selphie. "Oh, no..."

The Mission Coordinator's smile morphed into a concerned frown. "What's the matter, pumpkin?"

Scared out of my mind, I began to leaf through the packet again, trying desperately to find a deeper, hopefully less violent meaning behind the threat letter. But it was all for naught; the people of the world wanted me beyond dead and they would do whatever they could to make that possible. I ripped the letter out of the packet and threw it across the room. "It's...it's... We have to get out of here, Selphie. There's not much time."

Selphie did not budge; it appeared as if she was frozen in place.

I dashed toward Selphie, my wounds and injuries forgotten with the sudden adrenaline that pulsated throughout my body. "Didn't you hear me? We've got to get out of here--quick!"

Selphie's reaction was slow, and her eyes remained focused on a distant object that only she could see. "But why?"

Frustrated, I took hold of her arm and began to drag her out of the base. "They're going to bomb us at daybreak! The sun's coming out already... I'm sorry, Selphie, but we need to leave NOW!" With those words, I dragged her as hard as I could, causing her to gasp with fright and follow behind me with renewed concern.

"But what about Squall?" she managed to ask, her voice surprisingly soft. We were running as we spoke to each other.

_/Squall.../_

"What about him? He's fine. He's out of the building, anyway. If he tries to go in, we'll be here to stop him," I said matter-of-factly, relieved that he was out of harm's way.

"He's...not okay! Rinoa, Squall left the opposite way...on the other side of the base! He's supposed to come back soon, and he'll be entering through the other door! Squall could come back just in time to be blown up!"

We had exited the base as she finished her sentence. She continued running ahead of me, as I had frozen in place upon hearing that Squall was potentially in danger. Slowly, I turned back around, stretching my legs and breathing in deeply, exhaling as if it were my last breath.

"Rinoa...what do you plan on doing...?"

"I'm going back inside. It'll take too long to go around the base, so I'm going to run through and meet Squall on the other side," I said, hardly believing that I could be so brave.

_/So brave...but why? For him? Or for myself? Am I just trying to prove that I can save someone? Or...maybe.../_

"What? Rinoa, you can't! You're wounded and don't have the energy! Besides...it's just a chance! Maybe Squall will take longer than I think! You...you just can't risk it! You're too important to die!"

I turned around and stared at Selphie with burning eyes. "Every human life should be equally valued... As long as one person cares about another... there will be unbearable mourning afterward. I don't..." Not wanting to continue my sentence, I started to sprint back toward the entrance of the base.

_/I don't want to mourn anymore.../_

I tore the door open, my wounds burning with pain. My feet seemed to be floating above the air; my body felt like it was moving on its own with sheer ambition. If I stopped for even a second to rest, I was sure that I would collapse onto the floor from the agony of my injuries. As I ran through half of the base, I heard a loud clink from the computer room.

The clink was followed by ten quick clicks. Once the ten clicks sounded, there was a moment's pause. After that, another click was heard, this time at a more elapsed time. My eyes bulged, noting what I was dealing with.

_/It's a freaking time bomb... I have only ten clicks until this place is destroyed from the inside out... Please...let me make it in time/_

"10..." I said aloud, counting down for myself along with the sound of the click.

_/What would happen...if I didn't make it in time.../_

"9..."

_/...Apparently, it's not that important to me. I chose to run through here at the risk of death...and why.../_

"8..."

_/...Because I want to save a man that I hardly know? Or is it because I want to pay him back for saving me before/_

"7..."

_/...Or...is he really getting to me/_

"6..."

_/...Seifer... What would you do/_

"5..."

_/...Squall... What would _you_ do/_

"4..."

_/My opinion...it doesn't matter anymore, does it/_

"3..."

_/I'm too...uncertain. Seifer...Squall... Where do I belong/_

"2..."

_/I couldn't save you, Seifer... But I'll redeem myself, you'll see./_

"1..."

_/I'm coming, Squall.../_

"Here goes!"

The fire began to burn at my heels, and my legs carried me faster than before.

-- --

I was walking toward the base from the doctor's when I began to smell smoke. Before I could take any action, though, the door flew open before me, flames dancing behind this beautiful girl flying towards me.

"Squall!" she exclaimed, reaching her arms out to me.

Rinoa tackled me to the ground, hugging me forcefully. The bomb exploded fully as we hit the ground, causing us to skid further along the ground. It took a few moments until we finally stopped skidding. Selphie rounded around the base at last, panting as she came to a halt.

"Rinoa...!" she called, frantic.

I looked down at her fragile body. Rinoa had been knocked unconscious, her entire face covered in dirt. Her arms were also dirty, but blood was visible over it all.

"Just what has this girl done to the world?" I asked, sitting up and pulling Rinoa into my lap. I recall feeling light-hearted, realizing that she went through a lot of trouble just to protect me.

Selphie started back at me, suddenly mellow. "I think the question is...'What has the world done to this girl?'"

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, and a BILLION apologies for the two-year wait. Also, there's been a repeating error that doesn't allow me to put question marks in certain spots. Sorry if it bothers you!  



	4. Our Date

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! If I did, I'd totally have a much better computer. And faster internet. And a wireless mouse. And…**

**Thank you for those of you who reviewed! It wasn't much, but I really left you guys hanging for the longest time. I feel really awful about it, so now I'm _trying _to update every month. Maybe I'll be able to update sooner next time, and maybe I'll falter a bit. I'm really trying, though! I love you guys.**

**This chapter is filled with pretty dramatic dialogue, so pay close attention! I imagine that it'll be easy to get confused. I like this chapter, though. Finally, a teeny bit of humor.**

"_I won't let you die_

_I'll fight with all my strength_

_I'll never sleep until I find a way_

_I'll use whatever I have_

_Life won't be worth living_

_If you're not there_

_Beside me." --_ **CrazyFinalduckFantasy10's** Saving You. Thank you, **CrazyFinalduckFantasy10**for writing so beautifully!

A Love Beyond The Twilight

**Chapter Four**

Our Date

**Bianka-chan**

A warm tingle spread across my face, urging my eyes to open and my lungs to take in air deeply. With a slight aching in my back, I managed to lift myself up from the bed, my elbows popping. Stretching, I slowly looked down at myself, scared to see all the damage done in my last crazy stunt. The sight took me by surprise; my cuts and bruises were almost entirely healed.

"Wooow," I mused, smiling. "How long have I been asleep? Seems like forever since..."

I jumped out of the bed, standing tall and in a panic. "Squall! What happened to him...?" Pausing, my pride suddenly returned. "That crazy IDIOT! He nearly got me _killed_!"

_Hmm... Well...then why did you do it?_

"Becaaause...he's a _good-looking_ idiot..." I replied, arguing with my inner voice.

_So a pretty face is all it takes to get you flying through a bomb zone. _

"Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up! He's really _not _good-looking..."

_...Say that again—without blushing this time, though._

"...Okay. So what if he is? That doesn't make any difference to me. I saved him because he saved me first."

_And because he's hot._

"Shut-up, shut-up! Squall is--"

"--right here."

I turned my neck around slowly--almost painfully--to look at the person who just spoke. My eyebrows were arched and my eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets. My mouth was twisted into a sour grin, too embarrassed even to laugh it off. Instead, I gave into my feeling of humiliation and just plopped myself down on the bed, ignoring the brunette Protector about 15 paces to my right.

"I told you to shut-up..." I murmured to myself.

"So..." Squall started, "the secret's finally out. Sorceress Rinoa likes _me_."

"I don't like you. Not one bit."

"You're right. This is more than that, isn't it?"

"_What _the HELL?"

"A poor, tortured soul falls for a good-looking bad boy..."

"Oh, come on--"

"--It'll be in all the newspapers--"

"--Don't be stupid--"

"--'Protector Squall spotted running away from Sorceress Rinoa'--"

"--You're nothing but a pretty face--"

"--I can live with that--"

"--Who said anything about living, you--"

"--I'm your Protector; no one's going to die--"

"--I'll die, I know--"

"--C'mon, have a little more faith in me, Rinoa. I can keep you safe--"

"--No one can--"

"--Don't be so dramatic--"

"--Don't be so stupid--"

"--Lighten up!--"

"--LISTEN to me, Squall--"

"--Why would I want to--?"

"--The whole point of this voyage is--"

"--To save the world, I know--"

"--And, in exchange--"

"--Eternal fame and glory, of course--"

"--_I'll die_."

And for the first time since we'd met, neither of us could say a word to each other. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes soft and concerned. I stared back into his eyes, searching for the fire that was there just a sentence ago. He turned away from me, his eyes downcast and his mouth slightly ajar. I felt a dull pain in my chest for having said something like that so bluntly. His reaction was what especially affected me; his sad eyes and mellowed attitude struck me just as suddenly as it occurred.

"I'm sorry," I started, "I shouldn't have said that--"

"You're not going to die."

"What? ...Squall, I can't deny--"

"Stop acting so damn pitiful."

"Hey--"

"--Shut-up."

I did as I was told.

Squall walked over to me, grabbing me by the shoulders and lifting me off the bed to a standing position. The fire in his eyes had returned, and his strength was far greater than ever before. My shoulders trembled in his grasp, and for the first time, I was scared of him. I shook my head slowly, trying to avert his gaze, but I couldn't close them. I was too afraid to close them and open them again to nothing.

A man was holding me and promising me a full life. I couldn't...close my eyes and imagine anything else like it. Seifer had recognized my eventual fate and accepted it. He was always a realist. But this Squall...he refused to accept the ordinary. ...What a dreamer.

"Squall..." I winced, afraid that he would lash out at me again. Recovering, I continued, "I'm sorry, but all my dreams of living were taken away. Almost every day, someone attempts to murder me. And, in the end, there's nothing I can do but accept fate and die for these same people. I'm even more sorry...that you have to protect me."

Squall's grip on my shoulders tightened. "First, you're trying to tell me that my whole purpose in life is to protect someone that is going to die regardless of what I do. Then, most importantly, you're telling me that I'm protecting someone who doesn't give a damn about what happens to her and the people that care about her."

"I care about _you_!" I yelled out, not realizing the incredible meaning behind my sudden outburst.

Squall lessened his grip on my shoulders, his eyes widening. His blue eyes swirled with a mix of confusion and shock. His mouth was open, silent words pouring from his muted throat. I could only stare shyly back at him, slowly coming to realize what I had just uttered.

"I…uh…" I looked around the room for something—anything—to help me regain my composure.

The door burst open, making a noise so loud that I stumbled forward into his arms. Selphie emerged from the doorway, still holding the doorknob as she paused to take in the sight before her.

"Well… As you can see, Rinoa, we don't have a base anymore! Soo…we're staying at this guy's house. He asked that, in exchange for his generous hospitality, you go on a date with him! Not too hard, right?" Selphie cheerfully explained.

"A date?" Squall asked, his voice suddenly young.

"No! I'm not going on a date with anybody!" I yelled, wanting to clear up what I'd just exclaimed to Squall moments before.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say! This is _his _house, though!" Selphie said as she exited the guest bedroom.

I turned back to Squall just as he turned to stare at me in return. It was an awkward moment, to say the least. Two pairs of eyes locked together, each silently craving answers but neither brave enough to speak.

"I…care about _everyone_. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be trying to sacrifice myself…."

"There you go again—_sacrifice! _You're _not _going to die! Stop trying to be so depressing. I'm not buying into this."

"_You_ shut up for once! I'm proud of what I'm doing! I may not succeed in everything I do…but this is _the one thing _that I can do without fail. And everyone will be affected."

"You're not going to die… I'm not going to waste my time looking after someone that's going to die," came the cold reply.

"So this is all about _you_, is it? You know what? I don't care if I die! It's for a good cause, right? And you don't care if I die, either. At least, that way you'll have your life back, and you won't have to look after me anymore! I'm sure you hate this job, and I'm sure that once I die all of this will be a long-forgotten chapter in your life. Just like…everyone else."

"Fine! I don't care if you die. In fact, I'll be glad once you're gone! I'm _tired _of baby-sitting a whiny and self-absorbed little Sorceress!"

At that point in time, a young man entered the room rather unexpectedly. He was mildly-attractive and of medium height. His bright eyes and apparently easy-going disposition made him appear like he was eager to please. I found him to be a temporary escape from the awful and heated conversation.

"I-Isn't that what you wanted to hear?" stammered Squall, his eyes wide like a child's.

-- --

Rinoa looked at me with hurt eyes. She only stared at me for a second, but the pain spoke lifetimes to me. Then, Rinoa turned to look back at the intruder, running toward him.

"Let's go."

Rinoa took his hand and ran downstairs, dragging him almost unwillingly behind her. My response to this was to sigh heavily, my face an emotional mess.

_I'm your Protector, Rinoa. You can't run away from me._

* * *

"Hi! I'm Zell. I like Hot Dogs. And girls with pigtails. You ever tried wearing your hair like that? It's pretty hot. I also like sweets. And amusement parks. That's why we're in one. Is there anything you like to ride? I like air rides. I've been banned from all roller coasters in this area. I like the ride with the airplane. Do you like the ride with the airplane?"

"I—" I started.

"OH, MYYY GOODNESS! THERE IT IS! LET'S RIDE IT!"

"I'm right here, you know. You're shouting."

"Your date…is soo lame," Squall chimed in.

"_Shut up! He might hear you!_" I whispered.

"I don't care."

That day was one of the longest days in history. The sun, it seemed, refused to descend. Squall had hand-cuffed Zell and me to each of his hands. So, not only could I not escape Squall, I could not escape Zell.

Two overbearing men, one frustrated girl, and one ridiculously enormous amusement park….

* * *

The three of us made it back to the house very late. Not only were they craving Hot Dogs, they wanted ice-cream, too. It was my treat—_all _my treat.

I ran up to my room upstairs, eager to take a quick shower, change into my nightgown and snuggle up in Ma Dincht's freshly washed guest room bed sheets. When I opened the door, I took my things and sprinted into the hallway bathroom to take a quick shower.

Five minutes later, I came out in my short wine nightgown. I walked toward my room with a towel over my head, massaging my scalp. Safely in my room, I threw my towel across the room and took a flying leap towards the bed. I landed comfortably, curling into a ball under the fresh covers.

"Mm..! Warm covers. Almost time to sleep…" I murmured quietly to myself, grateful to the moon for bringing night around again.

I sat upright on my bed, combing through my hair with the brush I'd left on the windowsill beside the bed. Closing my eyes, I continued to untangle my unruly hair. Suddenly, the door creaked open. I looked over slowly, my eyes wide and mouth wired shut.

"Just to make sure that you don't pull a stupid stunt like running away again, I'm going to be sleeping with you," a shirtless Squall said.

I stared at him incredulously. "What?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You pervert... I'll sleep in your room with you."

I gasped and held a pillow to my scarcely covered chest. "But-but you're violating my privacy!"

Squall just started at my blankly and pointed at his face. "Look at this face." He pointed at his eyes. "Look into my eyes. Does it look like I care?"

I tried to look away, but Squall had grabbed my face and made me look at him. _His eyes are so intense... _"Yeah, it does." I pouted and sighed at the same time. _There's no changing his mind. _

He raised one eyebrow. "Well, I don't." Squall slammed a pillow on the floor and pulled a cover over himself. "Oh...and please don't forget that I'm down here. If you crush me, I'll crush you."

I continued to comb through my hair, thinking of all that happened on my little date with both Squall _and _Zell.

First, Zell, Squall, and I rode the airplane ride. Four times. Zell and I were still holding hands. Sure, I grabbed his hand first, but he just wouldn't let go. He had sweaty hands. At that point in time, even Squall's rough hand was preferable over Zell's.

Second, we rode the swings. Twice. Squall rode in front of a little girl. She screamed _the whole time_. I had to hold his hand, too, to prevent him from chasing her down.

Third, we went into the tunnel of love. It's only big enough to fit two people. However, Squall convinced the conductor to squeeze him in. So, there we were, looking like members in some twisted love triangle. Zell wanted me to sit on his lap, but Squall wouldn't hear it. So, I sat in the middle, one side on each knee.

**_Flashback_**

_"This is really awkward, guys."_

_We were sitting in a duck-shaped boat. Zell was queasy upon looking at the murky water. Squall was side-glancing at Zell as he did so, his eyes sly. I sat elevated on top of the two, a sarcastic look on my face. Every so often, the boat made quacking noises. _

_"This must be a nice little escape for you, Miss Rinoa," said the suddenly sobered Zell. "The Sorceress War…your powers…coming out from cryogenic sleep…it all sounds stressful for someone your age."_

_I looked at Zell, a new opinion of him quickly forming. I smiled genuinely at him, feeling Squall's burning gaze on the back of my head. "Wow…that's really astute of you, Zell. You're completely right."_

_"I really trust you, Miss Rinoa. The Sorceress War has caused the world a lot of pain, and no matter what we think, we can't handle everything ourselves. Everybody has lost something because of the Sorceresses, so it's hard to believe that our only savior is one of their kind."_

_I was at a loss for words. This hyperactive young man suddenly had a complete change in personality. Even Squall was perplexed. I began to lean into his words, feeding on his intellect. Mostly, though, I found his words addicting. I could scarcely ever talk to anyone about the effect the war was having on the common people._

_"I just want to say…that I appreciate what you're doing a lot. You're so young to have to carry this burden alone. I'd like to be there for you before you reach…your untimely end…"_

_I could've tackled Zell into a bear hug. His words were like food for my soul. I only wanted for the common people to realize my endeavors. It seemed like my whole dark world was being brightened by the words of this eager young man. He not only knew that I planned to die for him and the people of his planet, he was grateful to me for it. _

_"What do you want, Zell?" droned Squall._

_Zell looked up toward the sky, a noble look on his face. "I…I…" Zell turned to look at my face, demonstrating his honesty. "I…want to ride on the airplane again!"_

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Before I knew it, my eyes were brimming with tears. Squall was standing in front of me with his back turned, staring at himself in a faraway mirror. The tears began to spill onto my cheeks, my throat drying. I stood up beside the bed, garnering Squall's attention.

_So young, he said… So young to be a woman fated to die. _

"I don't want to die!" I shouted, my voice trembling upon speaking the final word.

Squall turned around just in time to accept my outstretched hands. I hugged him tightly to my skin, sobbing into his bare chest. His shock wearing off quickly, Squall raised a hand from my waist to caress my hair. I could feel him smelling my dampened tresses, trying to convince himself that the smell would not soon be taken away from him.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy chapter. Please review! More reviews will definitely help inspire me, thus resulting in a speedy update. As always, have a good day! 6/08/06**


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